1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connector. More especially the invention relates to an electric connector intended to protect the top portion of the male contacts arranged in a male connector and those being assembled in an easy manner.
2. Prior Art
In this technical filed, two prior arts belonging to the same assignee of this invention had been opened before public recently.
The first one is Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 10-41019 opened on Feb. 10, 1998. FIG. 5 shows the idea of this first prior art. In order to help the understanding of this invention, this prior art will be explained briefly at first.
This electric connector shown in FIG. 5 consists of a male connector 110 and a female connector 120. The male connector 110 having male contacts 112 adapted to be connected with female contacts 123. In order to protect the top portions of the male contacts 112, there are provided with a plate-shaped locator or protector 115 made of an insulating material formed with contact apertures 115a through which the male contacts 112 extend so that the plate-shaped locator 115 is slidably movable against the upwardly surging force of spring 116 provided at both ends. The top portions of the male contacts 112 are effectively protected from external impulsive force or contacting force by the plate-shaped locator 115. Whereas when the female connector 120 is to be coupled to the male connector 110, the locator or protector 115 is pressed down against the spring force of springs 116 by the bottom edge of the female connector 120 and the contacts are coupled correctly.
The second one of the prior arts is Japanese Patent Application opened No. 2004-31224.
The idea of this prior art is as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. The principle of this second prior art is almost the same as that of the first prior art. But this prior art is mainly intended to prevent damage of the top portions of the male contacts by mis-insertion of fitting card to be mated with the male contact.
Namely, this type of connector is used to accommodate a memory card inserted thereto with its longer edge. Whereas the general user is used to use a card with its shorter edge to insert into a machine, like a telephone card etc. In such a case the top portion of the male contacts is damaged by the misinsertion of the card.
In order to prevent damage of the male contacts 212, a protector 215 is provided as shown in FIG. 7. This protector 215 is restricted its backward movement by an engagement with a hook 220 at the back portion. The protector 215 is pressed forwardly by springs 216 to keep the protecting position as shown in FIG. 7. Only at correct direction insertion of the mating card the engaging spring 220 is depressed downwardly and disengage the restriction of movement of the protector 215.
In other case, the engaging spring 220 is not depressed and the plate shape protector 215 is kept at protecting position by the spring 216.
The inventors had noticed that in these prior arts, at the time of assembling the locator or the protector and the bias spring and other parts are arranged from the open end of the male connector 110 or 210 and its work was somewhat troublesome.